The present invention relates to an input method using a pointing device that can have an ON state enabling an operation of the pointing device (e.g. a state in which a button of a mouse is pressed) and an OFF state disabling an operation of the pointing device (e.g. a state in which a button of a mouse is released), and relates to a portable information terminal or unit having this input function.
Among pointing devices that can have an ON state enabling an operation of the pointing devices and an OFF state disabling an operation of the pointing devices, a pointing device is conventionally known that can have a latch state locking an operation by maintaining the ON state for a certain period.
For example, Windows Me of Microsoft Corporation (Microsoft and Windows Me are trademarks of Microsoft Corporation) employs so-called, ClickLock function. When a user who has pressed and held a mouse button for a certain period, the ClickLock function emulates the state of the button as a software function as if the button were still pressed even after the button is released (the latch state) until it is pressed again. Generally, when an object is dragged on a display, a compound operation of moving the mouse pointer while pressing the mouse button is needed. However, the ClickLock function allows easy dragging by separate operations of pressing the mouse button and moving the mouse pointer, whereby facilitating dragging performed by users who do not have full use of their fingers.
The current ClickLock function of Windows Me, however, does not provide any feedback indicating that an operation has transitioned to the locked state, although it is possible to set the period from when the mouse button is pressed to when an operation transitions to the locked state. As a result, the user may fail to properly operate his/her mouse such that he/she releases the mouse button before locking an operation although he/she had pressed and held the mouse button with the intention of locking the operation. Thus, to avoid this problem, the user has had to press and hold the mouse button for a period much longer than the preset period to prevent the wrong operation. Further, the user has also had to determine the pressing period all by his/her self.
The purpose of the present invention is to provide an input method using a pointing device that solves the above mentioned problems and to provide a portable information terminal having this input mechanism, the pointing device allowing accurate recognition of the latch state of the pointing device whereby being capable of eliminating the wrong operation upon transition to the latch state.
An input method using a pointing device of the present invention involves an input method using the pointing device, in which the pointing device""s ON operation causes an application to recognize that the state of the pointing device has transitioned to an ON state and the pointing device""s OFF operation causes the application to recognize that the state of the pointing device has transitioned to an OFF state. The input method includes the steps of: in response to the continuous ON operation of the pointing device over a certain period, bringing about a latch state in which the pointing device remains in the ON state for the application even if the OFF operation of the pointing device is taken place; and executing programs for informing the user that the latch state has been brought about.
The present invention employs the above configuration to inform the user that the state of the pointing device has transitioned to the latch state upon the transition to the latch state, and to emulate the latch state of the operation of the pointing device for other applications. This enables the user to accurately know the period for which the user should maintain the ON state, specifically the timing when the user may release the mouse button for example, thereby preventing wrong operation. Further, it is no more required to maintain the ON state for more than necessary period, specifically to press and hold the mouse button for more than necessary period, for example.
As a preferable embodiment of the present invention, duration of an operation of the pointing device is measured by starting a timer upon transition of the operation of the pointing device to the ON state and by stopping the timer upon transition of the operation of the pointing device to the OFF state, then, if the measured duration is equal to or more than a certain period that is preset to cause transition to the latch state, it is determined that the latch state which locks the operation of the pointing device has brought about. This embodiment is preferable as it allows the user to accurately determine the latch state.
As another preferable embodiment of the present invention, a user is informed that the latch state has been brought about by sound such as a beep or a chime, or visually by display of the state of the pointing device in a window on the display. Either embodiment is preferable since users, in particular hearing impaired or visually impaired users, are more accurately informed that the pointing device is in the latch state.
A portable information terminal of the present invention is provided with a function of informing a user of the latch state of the pointing device and emulating the latch state of the pointing device for other applications in accordance with the above mentioned input method using the pointing device. This portable information terminal allows the user to accurately recognize the latch state of the pointing device.